The present invention relates to a lenticular lens card such as a credit, charge, or debit card which permits viewing of multi-dimensional lithographic images and a process for manufacturing the plastic card. Using the appropriate process, a plastic card can be created which has artistic visual images creating the illusions of depth and moving effects imprinted therein. The process results in a plastic card that meets financial industry standards for security, reliability, and durability.
By way of background, there are many different types and styles of credit, charge, debit, and other financial cards made from plastic. Typically, a plastic card, such as a credit card, has one or two central layers of white or colored plastic. A clear plastic film is then laminated to the front and rear surfaces of the central plastic layer.
Additionally, there are known processes of producing multi-dimensional lithographic images which impart the illusions of depth and/or motion to a viewer. Typically, lithographic images are created by using a series of individual still pictures created from photographs or other artistic works which are segmented and then merged together in a desired sequence to form a composite picture or image. There are also known methods of segmenting and merging the individual pictures using a computer to convert the original artwork into electronic data, and to order and interface frames into sequence to form a composite image. It is further known that the composite image can be outputted to an imaging device which prints the image onto film and that the resulting film can be used to produce multiple prints of the composite image by transfer to a suitable substrate, such as paper stock. There are also various known processes of adhering to the paper stock lenticular lens material consisting of an array of identical cylindrically curved surfaces embossed on the front surface of a plastic sheet. The lenticular lens material refracts light from each image in sequence as the viewers angle of perception changes. The result is the perception of motion from a series of still images.
However, it has not been previously known how to manufacture a traditional plastic card such as used for a credit card which has a multidimensional, lithographic image viewed through lenticular lens material imprinted therein. The various materials could not be successfully adhered and/or laminated in a manner so that the resulting plastic card was durable enough to withstand typical wear and use for a prolonged period of time.
In order to create a secure credit card, it is desirable to create a xe2x80x9cdestructiblexe2x80x9d bond, which is a bond that is not separable without breakage or distortion. If a card is destroyed upon separation, it cannot easily be used to recreate a false card, thereby improving security. It is more difficult to create a secure bond in a lenticular card because of the relatively greater thickness of the layers in contact with the print. For instance, it is more difficult to achieve a destructible bond between 10-15 mil layers with printing between them than it is to achieve a destructible bond of a thin overlay of 1-2 mils to a printed surface as required in conventional cards. When two layers 10-15 mils thick are pulled apart, in addition to peel force, there is a sheer leverage available for splitting the two layers due to the stiffness of the materials. In contrast, when removing the flexible overlay film from a 10-15 mil rigid stock, no sheer forces are available.
Furthermore, the heat and pressure required for lamination can destroy the lenticular lens surface, thus resulting in a non-lenticular card. Thus, a method must be obtained for preserving the lenticular lens surface during lamination.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a durable, long-lasting, and secure plastic card having a lenticular lens therein through which to view lithographic images, thereby imparting the illusions of depth and/or motion to the lithographic images.
In a first aspect, the invention comprises a lenticular lens plastic card having a sufficient bond strength between a plurality of layers to create a secure plastic card, the lenticular lens plastic card comprising: a first plastic layer having a first surface including a series of cylindrically shaped projections and a second substantially flat surface; a second plastic layer having a front surface and a rear surface; a lithographic print layer disposed between the substantially flat surface of the first plastic layer and the front surface of the second plastic layer; and at least one thermally bondable coating layer capable of migrating through the lithographic print layer for creating a bond between the substantially flat surface of the first plastic layer and the front surface of the second plastic layer. The migration occurs during a lamination involving heat and pressure.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a lenticular plastic card manufactured by a process comprising the steps of: providing a sheet of lenticular lens material having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface including a series of cylindrically shaped projections, and the second surface being substantially flat; printing the second surface with a filmed lithographic image; providing a plastic backing layer having a front surface facing the second surface of the lenticular lens material and a rear surface; providing a backing film over the rear surface of the plastic backing layer; coating the second surface of the lenticular lens material with a thermally bondable coating layer capable of migrating through the filmed lithographic image; assembling and collating the sheet of lenticular lens material, the plastic backing layer and the backing film, such that the first surface of the lenticular lens material is on a front side and the backing film is disposed on a rear side; providing a protective removable film over the first surface of the lenticular lens material, wherein the protective removable film has a softening point lower than a softening point of the lenticular lens material; and laminating the assembled, collated sheets with heat and pressure.
In a further aspect, the invention comprises a method for manufacturing a plastic card. The method comprises the steps of: providing a sheet of lenticular lens material having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface including a series of cylindrically shaped projections, and the second surface being substantially flat; printing the second surface with a filmed lithographic image; providing a plastic backing layer having a front surface facing the second surface of the lenticular lens material and a rear surface; providing a protective removable film over the first surface of the lenticular lens material, wherein the protective removable film has a softening point lower than a softening point of the lenticular lens material; providing a sheet of backing film over the rear surface of the plastic backing layer; assembling and collating the sheet of lenticular lens material with the protective removable film, the plastic backing layer, and the sheet of backing film; and laminating the assembled, collated sheets. In the aforementioned methods, lamination is preferably achieved through heat and pressure in a platen press.
In yet an additional aspect, the invention comprises a method for manufacturing a plastic card, the method comprising the steps of: providing a sheet of lenticular lens material having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface including a series of cylindrically shaped projections, and the second surface being substantially flat; printing the second surface with a filmed lithographic image; providing a plastic backing layer having a front surface facing the second surface of the lenticular lens material and a rear surface; providing a backing film over the rear surface of the plastic backing layer; coating the second surface of the lenticular lens material with an thermally bondable coating layer capable of migrating through the filmed lithographic image; assembling and collating the sheet of lenticular lens material, the plastic backing layer, and the backing film so that the first surface of the lenticular lens material is on a front side and the backing film is disposed on a rear side after assembly; providing a protective removable film over the first surface of the lenticular lens material, wherein the protective removable film has a softening point lower than a softening point of the lenticular lens material; and laminating the assembled, collated sheets through application of heat and pressure.
In yet a further aspect, the invention comprises a lenticular plastic card comprising: a lenticular lens material having a front side and a rear side, the front side having an array of identically curved surfaces embossed thereon, the rear side being flat and having a thermally bondable coating thereon and a print layer over the coating; a sheet of plastic having a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the rear surface includes printing; a sheet of clear PVC overlay film having a magnetic stripe laminated thereon, wherein the lenticular lens material, the sheet of plastic, and the sheet of clear PVC overlay film are laminated together such that the lenticular lens material is on a front side, the sheet of clear PVC overlay film is on a rear side, and the sheet of plastic is between the front side and the rear side.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.